Hollow frame of the box type, in particular for crane trucks

ABSTRACT

A hollow vehicle frame, especially suited for crane vehicles, which is made of continuous flat longitudinal plates and transverse bulkheads. The longitudinal plates define a crosssectional hollow &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;U&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; shape frame cavity, concave downwardly. The bulkheads are longitudinally spaced along the frame, have a periphery commensurate in shape to the frame cavity and are attached thereto. An open space shaped like an upwardly diverging truncated pyramid is located in the area of a critical cross section, which is the area where the crane boom or other attachments are fixed.

D United States Patent 1111 3,622,171

[72] lnventor Georg Heinrich Gottschalk [56] ReierencesCited Bullach near Numbers, e ma UNITED STATES PATENTS lzll P 1969 2,622,895 12/1951 Larsen 280/l06T :3: 523 971 2,846,263 8/l958 La Rue 296/282 o 73 Assignee DlpL-lng. Karl Heinz Schmldt,Von-a, FOREIGN PATENTS Kn 435,191 5/1948 ltaly 280/106T Gem'ny Primary Examiner- Philip Goodman 33 1968 Atlorney-Holman & Stern as r a [31 A 7474/68 ABSTRACT: A hollow vehicle frame, especially suited for crane vehicles, which is made of continuous flat longitudinal [54] HOLLOW FRAME OF THE Box TYPE IN plates and transverse bulkheads. The longitudinal plates PARTICULAR Q CRANE TRUCKS define a cross-sectional hollow "U" shape frame cavity, con- 6Claimsv l4 Drawmg Figs cave downwardly. The bulkheads are longitudinally spaced 52 us. 01 280/106, along the frame. have a p p y commensurate in Shape to 296/282 the frame cavity and are attached thereto. An open space [511 lnt.Cl 362d 21/00 sh ped like an upwardly diverging truncated pyramid is [50] 280/106 located in the area ofa critical cross section, which is the area where the crane boom or other attachments are fixed.

PATENTEU 2 3 3.622.1 71

SHEET 1 OF 8 INVEN I'OR.

PATENTEDHUV 23 197i SHEET 2 BF 8 lax/m ATTdRrx/JYS PATENTEB 23 I971 3,622,171

SHEET H BF 8 FIG.3 (a) INVIL'NTOR. FJAGoTTYd/VALK BY 4 m4 HOLLOW FRAME OF THE BOX TYPE, IN PARTICULAR FOR CRANE TRUCKS BACKGROUND OF INVENTION The invention concerns hollow vehicle frames, especially for crane vehicles, preferably with continuous flat longitudinal plates and transverse reinforcements fixedly attached thereto. Such hollow vehicle frames are suitable for all kinds of vehicles as, for example, trailers, etc.

From U.S. Pat. No. 2,846,263 hollow vehicle frames which are rectangular in cross section and composed of individual longitudinal and transverse plates are already known, especially as represented in FIG. 3 thereof, showing two longitudinal box girders, approximately square in cross section and disposed parallel side by side at a distance from each other, which girders are permanently connected with each other through a common cover plate and through bulkheads of the same height as that of these longitudinal box girders. Similar girder constructions are also known from Gennan Pat. No, 897,953. The above-mentioned known hollow vehicle frames have for many purposes sufficient supporting capacity and sufficient bending and torsion resistance, but in the case of higher load requirements they need many such longitudinal and transverse reinforcements which, on the one hand, complicate the construction of the hollow vehicle frames and therefore will be expensive and, on the other hand, its weight in relation to the whole vehicle turns out to be undesirably high.

From the French Pat. No. 850,676, which in relation to U.S. Pat. No. 2,846,263 and German Pat. No. 897,953, is much older, it is indeed known that by the use of trough-shaped hollow vehicle frames, which consist of two-pressed shells inserted into and spaced from each other, a high-frame rigidity is obtained with low-frame weight. The technical world has not recognized the basic merit of such a construction and for that reason it has not been used in vehicle construction. Apart from this, pressed shells can only be manufactured in a limited maximum size, wherefore hollow vehicle frames of the kind described in French Pat. No. 850,676 are limited to small vehicles, for example, passenger cars and, as it appears from the drawing of this French patent, probably were only intended for such.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The instant invention addresses itself to solving the problem of obtaining in hollow vehicle frames of the kind initially mentioned and described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,846,263 and German Pat. No. 897,953, a saving in weight and a higher supporting capacity and higher bending and torsion resistance.

The instant invention comprises a hollow vehicle frame, especially for crane vehicles, with preferably continuous flat longitudinal plates and lateral reinforcements fixedly attached thereto, the improvement being that the longitudinal plates bounding the cross section of the frame above, below and on both longitudinal sides thereof define a cross-sectional hollow U" shape, concave downwardly, and the lateral reinforcements are spaced longitudinally along the frame, have a periphery commensurate in shape to the hollow U" shape cavity, and are attached to the longitudinal plates.

Hollow vehicle frames according to the invention are therefore especially well suited for crane vehicles, since just their frames are subjected to high bending and torsion stresses, the latter, especially with side supports lowered or extended, are higher than when the crane vehicle rests only on its wheels, as with this invention the crane boom can be extended farther outward or loaded more heavily.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the hollow vehicle frame according to the invention;

FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b) are partial side views which together show the hollow vehicle frame according to the invention in combination with side supports;

FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b) are partial plan views which together show the hollow vehicle frame represented in FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 FIG. 4 is a section along the plane lV-IV in FIG. 2 (b);

FIG. Sis a section along the plane V-V in FIG. 2 (11);

FIGS. 6 to 8 show various cross-sectional views of further embodiments of the hollow vehicle frame according to the invention;

FIG. 9 is a cross section similar to FIG. 6 in combination with reinforcement frames;

FIG. 10 is a partial section along the plane X-X in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a cross section similar to FIG. 9, in combination with additional reinforcement frames; and

FIG. 12 is a partial section along the plane XII-XII in FIG. 1 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION The hollow vehicle frame represented in FIGS. 1 to 4 of the drawings has, according to the invention, the form of a reversed U whose legs are formed from upward converging planes of internal longitudinal plates 1 and 2 and external vertical longitudinal plates 3 and 4. The lower longitudinal edges of the two-longitudinal plates 1 and 3 and the lower longitudinal edges of the two-longitudinal plates 2 and 4 are for the purpose of greater strength connected firmly with each other through longitudinal bottom flanges 5 and 6, while the upper longitudinal edges of the external vertical longitudinal plates 3 and 4 are attached to an upper horizontal longitudinal plate 7. The upper edges of the obliquely disposed internal longitudinal plates 1 and 2 of the two-leg profiles are rigidly connected with each other through a lower longitudinal plate 8.

For the purpose of greater rigidity, oblique reinforcement plates 9 and 10, preferably extending the full length of the hollow vehicle frame, are advantageously also provided, which plates are, on the one hand, firmly connected with the upper edges of the internal, obliquely disposed longitudinal plates 1 and 2 of the legs and the long side edges of the lower horizontal longitudinal plates 8 and, on the other hand, with the upper edges of the external vertical longitudinal plates 3 and 4 and the horizontal upper longitudinal plate 7 attached thereto. (FIG. 4).

The hollow vehicle frame has at its ends in a manner known per se supports 11 that can be swung or set out to both sides of the frame.

In the area of the critical cross section of the hollow vehicle frame between the lower horizontal plate 8 and the upper horizontal plate 7 of the web body of the reversed U" there is provided a polygonal space 14 (FIG. 1) widening upward in the form of an inverted truncated pyramid, which is formed on the one hand from single oblique plates 13 rigidly connected with each other and, on the other hand, from the portion 12 of the above-mentioned longitudinal plate 8 that is enclosed by these plates. On the upper edges of the plates 13 of the polygonal space 14 there is supported a bearing ring 15 (FIG. 3(b)) which, for example, can serve as a bearing for a crane (not shown). Depending upon the particular structure that is to be supported by the hollow vehicle frame according to the invention, for example a crane, the upper diameter of the polygonal space 14 can be greater than the spacing between the external vertical longitudinal leg plates 3 and 4, in which case the sideplates 13 of the polygonal space 14 are extended sidewise beyond the vertical longitudinal plates 3 and 4, as is seen in FIG. 5 of the drawings. The oblique plates 13 of the polygonal space 14 which thereby penetrate the external vertical longitudinal plates 3 and 4 are in this case, for the sake of simple installation, advantageously divided into two parts 13a and 13b and at their places of separation in each case they are welded to the vertical longitudinal sideplates 3 and 4. Of

course, in a modified embodiment the longitudinal plates 3 and 4 can have corresponding cut outs and the plates 13 of the polygonal space I4 can in that case be undivided or unitary.

An especially favorable absorption of the reaction forces acting on the vehicle frame, for example in the case of the mounting of a crane, is obtained when in the longitudinal direction on both sides of the critical cross section of the vehi cle frame in the preferred embodiment, consequently on both sides of the polygonal space 14, there are disposed respective bulkheads l6 and 17 so that these bulkheads l6 and 17 in the manner visible in FIGS. 1 to 3 of the drawings converge upwardly. By the phrase critical cross section" is meant that frame cross section in which a force acting on the frame has the strongest effect and in which consequently the hollow vehicle frame would yield or break in the case of overloading.

According to the purpose of the hollow vehicle frame, there are suitably still more bulkheads 18 disposed generally upright in conventional manner.

The bulkheads l6, l7 and 18, as seen in FIGS. 1 to 4 and 8 of the drawings can, in each case, consist either of three individual parts 16a, 16b and 16c or 17 a, 17b and 170, or 18a, 18b, 186, whose edges in each case are rigidly connected with the longitudinal plates 1 to 4 and 7 and 8, as well as with the reinforcing plates 9 and 10, or they can consist in each case of one piece, in which case the oblique reinforcing plates 9 and are to be divided. It would furthermore also be possible to provide the bulkheads l6, l7 and 18 and the reinforcing plates 9 and 10 in a known manner in each case with notches and in that way to connect them with each other.

It is furthermore, of course, not obligatory that the longitudinal plates 1 to 7 and 8 in each case consist of a single plate, but these longitudinal plates can of course, especially with very long vehicle frames, in each case be composed of several individual plates. Additionally, the bottom flanges 5 and 6 can have any desired form and preferably may be composed of a plurality of joined horizontal strips of material.

The sectional view represented in FIG. 6 shows a basic modified cross section form of the hollow vehicle frame according to the invention, which has neither reinforcing plates, bulkheads, nor the polygonal space described in the preceding embodiment and which, in spite of this, in comparison with hollow vehicle frames according to the present state of the art with the same load carrying capacity, shows a considerable saving on material and consequently makes possible lower manufacturing costs. Alternatively, with the same amount of material in relation to the known state of the art, the construction of the invention can support substantially higher loads and has higher bending and torsion resistance. The identical details as already described above in this simplified embodiment are again designated by the same reference numerals.

The bulkheads 18 or 18a, 18b, 18c of modified hollow vehicle frames according to the invention, seen in FIGS. 7 and 8 of the drawings, are for the purpose of further weight saving, provided with holes or cut out portions in known manner.

Instead of bulkheads, or alternatively in addition to bulkheads, reinforcement frames disposed crosswise to the hollow vehicle frame can be attached to the insides of all longitudinal plates 1 to 4 and 7 and 8. Such reinforcement frames are shown in FIGS. 9 to 12 of the drawings, in which in each case identical parts already described are again given the same reference numerals.

According to FIGS. 9 and 10, such reinforcement frames can be composed of individual T-bars 20 to 28 in such manner that the individual transverse legs of the T-section in each case extend into the cavity of the vehicle frame. In a further embodiment such a reinforcement frame according to FIGS. II and 12 can be composed of a plurality of L-shaped bars 29 to 37 in such manner that the L-section in each case extends into the cavity of the vehicle frame.

The hollow vehicle frame according to the invention is in a known manner adapted to the vehicle involved at any given time, which is not a subject of the invention, and consequently is not described in detail. The wheels 38 of the vehicle involved are represented in outline by dashed lines in FIG. 2 of the drawings.

The advances achieved with the invention in comparison with the known state of the art consist primarily in that hollow vehicle frames formed according to the invention in comparison with known embodiments are significantly lighter in weight and can not only be highly loaded in the vertical direction, but particularly have a considerably higher torsion resistance, which is especially favorable when with the side supports spread out the vehicle is subjected to greater torsion movements, for example, by a crane boom.

What I claim is:

1. In a vehicle frame having a plurality of longitudinal plates fonning two hollow longitudinal girders spaced transversely from each other and connected to each other by a web body and by transverse reinforcements, the frame having an inverted substantially U-shaped cross section, the improvement wherein said web body is hollow between said two hollow longitudinal girders, and further comprising a plurality of oblique plates rigidly connected to each other and connecting a lower longitudinal plate of the web body with an upper longitudinal plate of the web body, said oblique plates being located in the hollow web body in the area where the greatest force of a load will be applied to the frame and defining a polygonal space having an upwardly diverging inverted truncated pyramidal configuration.

2. The improvement as claimed in claim I, wherein two oblique internal longitudinal plates are arranged to converge upwardly and are connected to each other by a lower substantially horizontal longitudinal plate to define the inverted U- shape of the frame; and the surface of the hollow frame defining the base of the U-shape is formed by two substantially vertical external longitudinal plates, the top edges of which are connected to each other by an upper substantially horizontal longitudinal plate.

3. A hollow vehicle frame as claimed in claim 2. wherein two oblique longitudinal reinforcement plates diverging upwardly connect the longitudinal side edges of said lower longitudinal plate to the upper longitudinal edges of said external longitudinal plates.

4. A hollow vehicle frame as claimed in claim I, wherein the hollow vehicle frame has a critical cross section and said transverse reinforcements are bulkheads; the two bulkheads on either side of said polygonal space in the longitudinal direction of said critical cross section converge obliquely upward thereto.

5. The improvement as claimed in claim I, wherein the upper cross section of the polygonal space is greater than the lateral distance between vertical external longitudinal plates of said girders, and said oblique plates defining the polygonal space extend laterally beyond said external longitudinal plates.

6. The improvement as claimed in claim 5, wherein said upper longitudinal plate of said web body surrounds said polygonal space.

t t i l 

1. In a vehicle frame having a plurality of longitudinal plates forming two hollow longitudinal girders spaced transversely from each other and connected to each other by a web body and by transverse reinforcements, the frame having an inverted substantially U-shaped cross section, the improvement wherein said web body is hollow between said two hollow longitudinal girders, and further comprising a plurality of oblique plates rigidly connected to each other and connecting a lower longitudinal plate of the web body with an upper longitudinal plate of the web body, said oblique plates being located in the hollow web body in the area where the greatest force of a load will be applied to the frame and defining a polygonal space having an upwardly diverging inverted truncated pyramidal configuration.
 2. The improvement as claimed in claim 1, wherein two oblique internal longitudinal plates are arranged to converge upwardly and are connected to each other by a lower substantially horizontal longitudinal plate to define the inverted U-shape of the frame; and the surface of the hollow frame defining the base of the U-shape is formed by two substantially vertical external longitudinal plates, the top edges of which are connected to each other by an upper substantially horizontal longitudinal plate.
 3. A hollow vehicle frame as claimed in claim 2, wherein two oblique longitudinal reinforcement plates diverging upwardly connect the longitudinal side edges of said lower longitudinal plate to the upper longitudinal edges of said external longitudinal plates.
 4. A hollow vehicle frame as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hollow vehicle frame has a critical cross-section and said transverse reinforcements are bulkheads; the two bulkheads on either side of said polygonal space in the longitudinal direction of said critical cross-section converge obliquely upward thereto.
 5. The improvement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper cross section of the polygonal space is greater than the lateral distance between vertical external longitudinal plates of said girders, and said oblique plates defining the polygonal space extend laterally beyond said external longitudinal plates.
 6. The improvement as claimed in claim 5, wherein said upper longitudinal plate of said web body surrounds said polygonal space. 